Ghatkopar plane crash: Did on-board explosive cause crash? Ask cops

Policemen, firemen, politicians and citizens were seen walking all over the crash site on June 28, possibly destroying crucial evidence, experts say. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Was it an explosive inside the aircraft that caused it to crash in Ghatkopar on June 28? On Wednesday, the Ghatkopar police asked the state FSL if there was any explosive residue found in the debris.

K Y Kulkarni, acting director, State FSL, Kalina, said, "We have been asked to find out the reason for the explosion. Also, the sealed samples that were collected from the crash site were submitted to us, and we have already started the probe." When asked to elaborate, Kulkarni said, "Our General Analytical Department (GAD) scientists will ascertain the nature of fuel found in the debris. We will also look for presence of any other explosive material. The police are keen to know if there was any inflammable material, other than aviation fuel, or explosive material inside the plane that could have triggered the fire and crash. We will complete our study and submit our report."

Rukmini Krishnamurthy, former director, state FSL, said, "The police are trying to cover all angles, including act of terror, and hence they have raised the query on explosives. There have been security concerns about smaller planes possibly being used to carry out 9/11 type of attacks. A small explosive with auto ignition could cause a fire and subsequent crash, which might look like an accident. Only an in-depth forensic analysis can rule out such probabilities."

All angles being probed
Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region) Lakhmi Gautam confirmed the query raised to FSL, and said, "We are probing the case from all possible angles and have to rule out all probabilities. We have also written to DGCA and other agencies seeking clarity, as they are experts in aviation. We will wait for the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report on the reason behind the crash-landing of the plane."

When asked if the local police would share the evidence collected with AAIB after the crash, Gautam said, "We are always willing to share the information with AAIB, and as local police have registered a case of accidental death under section 174 of CrPC, we will need to probe the case." When asked if they had any clue about the material the AAIB has collected from the site, other than the black box and data recorder, Kulkarni said he did not know. "We have the samples that we had collected. We will submit our findings to the police."

Also read: Ghatkopar plane crash: Aircraft was 10 miles away when it went off radar